SPECIAL EVENT | Upstate Social Sessions

Social media is ubiquitous. A few might be able to avoid it by deliberately disconnecting, but most of us are somehow always connected to the rest of the world — through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pintrest, Snapchat, and on and on. And then there are some who use social media for their jobs — or social media is their job (#brand) — and it becomes important to understand how the modern world communicates. In its third year, Upstate Social Sessions is a day-long conference focused on educating anyone on how to better use their social media accounts professionally and personally. A host of speakers and panelists — including WXXI's Evan Dawson, ROC Girl Gang's Sarah Knight, photographer Austin Wallace, Emma Daitz of This Good World, and professors from St. John Fisher and RIT — will talk about everything from creating your digital identity and how to shape your brand to meeting your digital following in real life.

Upstate Social Sessions takes place Friday, September 15, at the George Eastman Museum, 900 East Avenue. Check-in starts at 8 a.m.; sessions run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $45; $25 for students. For more information, including full list of speakers and the day's schedule, check out upstatesocialsessions.com.